Pre-Production

Pre-Production Training Bundle

CartoonSmart students can now choose between buying Lifetime Access to our courses or purchasing one of our affordable Subscription plans. Lifetime Buyers can choose between downloading zip files of each movie or streaming them on any of their devices. Subscribers can stream courses, also on any device, and whether or not you subscribe or buy, every student has access to course materials (which could be PDF files, images, video, code projects, etc depending on the lesson).

Our Storyboarding tutorials teach hand-drawn techniques and how to create animatics using Adobe Flash. Optionally, you can learn how to take your animatics to the next level, using Adobe Premiere. Since most non-linear editing programs have similar interfaces and conventions, Final Cut or After Effects could also be used with this lesson.

The Screenwriting package is taught by Christopher Wade, the Creative Director at Spark-Flow Studios and a full-time Illustrator/Designer at CACI Productions Group. Chris brings his unqiue perspective to these tutorials, as both an animator and writer.

Joined by Chris in the Storyboarding package are two more instructors, David Carbley and Rachel Anchors, which specialize in hand-drawn boarding and Flash animation.

Professional Storyboarding and Animatics.

This tutorial series is broken into two sessions. The first will show you how two storyboard artists, David Carbley and Rachel Anchors, approach their craft: working in Photoshop to draw and using Flash to create an animatic.

In the second session, taught by Christopher Wade, you will learn the basics of non-linear editing. Animation, Film and Video Production all require editors in some way, shape or form. If you are an Adobe Creative Cloud subscriber you have access to Adobe Premiere, but optionally you could work in Final Cut Pro or Adobe After Effects.

Storytelling Basics and Scriptwriting with Celtx

Animation director, Christopher Wade brings his unique brand of educational humor to CartoonSmart featuring the scriptwriting program Celtx. His tutorial will teach you how to effectively write an engaging story and transfer storytelling skills into a script format for film, TV, or animated production.

This session will show you how two storyboard artists, David Carbley and Rachel Anchors, approach their craft: working in Photoshop to draw and using Flash to create an animatic.

Topics covered include….

Working off a script

Camera Positioning and Composition

Referencing Character Models

Tips for Working in Photoshop or Paper

Cleaning up hand-drawn boards

Showing Movement

Adding Line Weight, Depth, and Shadows

Balancing between details and deadlines

Maintaining continuity between shots

Being aware of the tangent

Anticipating how the animators might work with the characters

Making your shots “readable” and simple for the animators

Time saving techniques for similar shots

Applying the rule of thirds

Setting up an animatic with audio in Flash

And tips on what’s expected of you as a professional storyboard artist

This session, taught by Christopher Wade, shows you the basics in non-linear editing. Animation, Film and Video Production all require editors in some way, shape or form. And if you just so happen to have the Adobe Production Suite, you have a prime opportunity to learn Adobe Premiere (its probably in your Applications folder already).

This tutorial comes with storyboard JPG’s, voice log audio clips, additional final animation clips and after the tutorial is completed we propose two assignments using these source files…

Assignment #1

Your task is to provide a play-by-play of the listed shots as they appear on the storyboard using the boarded delivery elements. This includes inserting audio and using the Text Processor in Premiere to create a location title. You can also try making on-screen credits while minding the Title Safe area.

Assignment #2

Now you can connect the final videos together as stated in the storyboards with the audio and from any other sources you have for sound effects ( check FreeSoundProject.com or FreeSound.org). Background noise, animal noises, you name it. Make the scene your own! Explore how different ambience can change the mood of the scene to something much more frightening.

Whether you’re a budding film student, a hobbyist looking to write their first film or an experienced writer who simply wants to brush up on some knowledge, Christopher Wade will take you through the inner workings of storytelling, and guide you through Celtx’s most useful features.

Topics Covered

Introduction to Celtx and the basics of scriptwriting

Creating a new story

Using Master Catalog as a place to develop your characters and share that info with others

Establishing actors

Creating relatable characters

Developing characters with Voice Overs (VO)

An example of developing balanced side characters and likeable lead characters

Continuing backstory and developing side characters

Objectives

You will learn how to effectively write an enjoyable story

You will have learned how to operate Celtx in an efficient and productive capacity.

Use the Master Catalog to organize your characters, work through plot points and discover new details about your story

You will be able to dispel all of those pesky scriptwriting myths and learn how to write through roadblocks

Watch a Lengthy Video Preview Below

Two affordable purchasing options, both with social-sharing discounts.

Purchase Option 1 - Lifetime Access

Get Lifetime Access to this course for a one-time purchase price. You can download (or stream) the movie files and download any source projects.